Both bills passed both chambers overwhelmingly, in some cases unanimously. Perry killed them on June 17 along with more than 77 other bills in a move some legislators called the "Father's Day Massacre."

"We don't know who the governor is listening to if he's not listening to the people of Texas," said Adriana Cadena, a political analyst with the Texas Immigrant and Refugee Coalition in Austin.

The living-wage bill would have allowed school districts letting construction contracts to require an hourly wage higher than the minimum wage. Supporters say the bill, offered by Sen. Carlos Truan, D-Corpus Christi, would have benefited laborers working for border school districts because they are major employers of contract labor.

The other bill would have allowed Mexican nationals to use documents from their country, such as birth certificates, to obtain Texas driver's licenses. It was sponsored by Rep. Miguel Wise, D-Weslaco.

Supporters say the bill would have improved the safety of border roads and highways by increasing the number of Mexican nationals who receive Texas driver training and buy insurance. Current law, which usually requires a U.S. Social Security number to obtain a driver's license, gives Mexicans no choice but to drive as uninsured motorists who may not know the rules of the road, Cadena said.

No one should question the governor's commitment to the border, said Secretary of State Henry Cuellar.

Perry's spokeswoman, Kathy Walt, added that the bills in question were flawed or redundant. She noted that Perry approved money to build roads along the border and bills that improve access to education and health care for low-income border residents.